$1.3 Million ‘Australian Trilogy’ Collection Features 1-Kilo Coins Adorned With Fancy-Color Diamonds
The Perth Mint has just unveiled “The Australian Trilogy,” an exclusive, one-of-a-kind collection of one-kilo coins meticulously set with fancy-color diamonds sourced from Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine.
The mint uses three precious metals — yellow gold, platinum and rose gold — in a set of coins that celebrate Western Australia’s unique heritage and natural treasures.
With a mintage of just one, “The Australian Trilogy” carries a price tag of AUS$1.8 million ($1.36 million) and boasts a hefty combined weight of 6.6 pounds.
The Australian Kookaburra coin, crafted from 99.99% pure gold, depicts two kookaburras perched on a wooden fence gazing toward a round 0.47-carat fancy deep purple-pink diamond. (The photo, above, shows the freshly struck coin, minus the diamond.)
Fashioned from 99.95% pure platinum, the Australian Kangaroo coin portrays this iconic animal bounding across an outback plain over an emerald-cut 0.46-carat fancy dark gray-violet diamond.
To complete the trilogy, the 91.67% rose gold Australian Koala coin illustrates this native marsupial beneath a eucalyptus tree in a rural landscape beside an emerald-cut 0.58-carat fancy intense pink diamond.
The artistry on each coin is bordered by a title inscription, the year 2017, the weight, fineness and metal, and The Perth Mint’s traditional “P” mintmark.
Each release also displays the renowned Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on its obverse. The Australian Kookaburra coin has a face value of AUS$5,000.
The one-of-a-kind set will be on display in The Perth Mint Shop throughout June — or until a buyer takes it home.
The Australian Trilogy was revealed to the public by officials of The Perth Mint, the Australian government and mining company Rio Tinto.
“The Australian Trilogy has elevated our creations to a new level with three diamond-studded gold and platinum coins in one dazzling presentation,” Perth Mint Chief Executive Officer Richard Hayes said in a statement.
Check out the video below, which offers an insider’s perspective of how the coins came together at The Perth Mint.